Chapter 37
The walk of shame into work was noticed only by Jodi, who was waiting in Mylie’s office for the tea.
“You have to tell me everything,” Jodi said before Mylie could even set down her bag and laptop.
“I need you to tell me where we are on production,” Mylie replied, ignoring her best friend’s request. “Are we going to have
enough supplies to fulfill all the orders and be ready for the tournament next week?”
Jodi nodded. “Yes, and you already know that,” she said. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what’s going on here so you don’t have
to answer me.”
“I don’t have to answer you,” Mylie replied, knowing full well she would. “It’s not your business.”
“Like hell it’s not!” Jodi said. “I’ve been covering for you all morning!”
“That wasn’t my fault,” Mylie countered. “Fat Tony stole Morris’s phone.”
“I heard,” Jodi replied. “Which is also how I know that half the town saw you come out of Ben’s house looking like you’d slept
there.”
“It wasn’t half the town,” Mylie said. “It was Morris and Granny and Cassie and... oh, shit.”
“Courtney,” Jodi finished. “Courtney told everyone you ruined a major sale and spent the night with Ben.”
“I didn’t ruin her sale,” Mylie said, sitting down in her chair. “I’m not the one who gave Fat Tony the phone.”
Jodi laughed. “All right, she didn’t say you ruined it. But she did say that she had to spend half an hour convincing that couple that there isn’t a vermin problem in town.”
“But there is a vermin problem in town,” Mylie said.
“Yeah, if you consider Robbie Price vermin.”
“I do,” Mylie replied.
“So does everyone else,” Jodi replied.
Mylie closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about Robbie Price. She wanted to stay warm and happy inside her own little
world.
“Okay, never mind. Besides, I have something more interesting I need to know about,” Jodi said. “ Spill . About. Ben. ”
Mylie did. She told her nearly everything, keeping some of the more intimate bits to herself. She told Jodi about how she and Ben had decided they were
just going to go along for the ride of whatever this was, even if they both knew how it would end—with Ben selling the house
and leaving. She tried to sound nonchalant about it, but the thought of it made her heart constrict.
“And you’re okay with this?” Jodi asked. “Like, really okay with this?”
Mylie shrugged. “I needed to know what it was like,” she said. “Being with him in that way, even if it isn’t going to last.”
“Do you want it to last?”
Again, Mylie shrugged. “I like what we have right now.”
Jodi didn’t say anything for a long moment, and then she replied, “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy, I guess.”
“You don’t sound happy,” Mylie retorted.
“Look, I like Ben,” Jodi said. “You know that. I’ve always liked him. But he’s always been... well, you know. Unavailable.
I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
“I’m okay.”
“Then I’m okay,” Jodi said, giving Mylie a genuine smile. “But you have to keep me in the loop. Being basically married is
boring.”
“I doubt that,” Mylie replied. “You’re basically married to a guy who injures himself on a tractor every single day of the
week.”
“Yeah, but that’s just stressful, not sexy.”
Both women began to laugh. They spent the rest of the morning working and talking. It was a welcome change from the chaos
of the last few days. She’d nearly forgotten what it was like to just sit and work with her friend as they chattered on about
nothing important.
It wasn’t until Mylie heard her stomach grumble that she realized so much time had passed. As if on cue, there was a knock
on the office door and Ben appeared.
“You ready?” he asked.
Mylie smiled and nodded. “Yep.”
Jodi watched them warily as Mylie gathered her things to leave. “I’ll keep everything running while you’re gone,” she said.
“But I want to remind you that I haven’t even had lunch yet.”
“I won’t be gone long,” Mylie replied. “Thank you.”
“Mmmhmm” was all Jodi said.
Mylie and Ben walked down the expansive driveway of the warehouse to the lakefront, where there was a picnic area. It was
mostly abandoned, left to decay for more prime spots on the water. Nobody used it now except for the people who worked at
Hook, Line, & Sinker.
“This place has seen better days,” Ben said.
“Yeah, nobody really goes here anymore,” Mylie agreed. “But we replaced the picnic table last year, so it’s sturdy enough.”
“We?”
“I say we, but it was mostly a couple of the guys who work at the shop,” Mylie replied. “Jodi and I pretty much sat around
and gave orders.”
Ben set the plastic bags from the Cracked Egg down on the table and said, “Was it just me, or was Jodi glaring at me when
we left?”
“She was glaring at both of us,” Mylie said.
“Why?”
Mylie swung a leg over the bench of the picnic table. “Because she thinks you’re going to hurt me and that I’m stupid for
getting involved with you when you’re just going to leave.”
“Ah,” Ben said, sitting down opposite her. “So, you told her.”
“I had to,” Mylie replied. “She’s like a bloodhound. She would have sniffed us out sooner or later.”
“I remember,” Ben said with a laugh. “She was convinced her boyfriend was cheating on her and made us stake out his house
for three nights in a row.”
“And we thought she was nuts,” Mylie said.
“Yeah, and who turned out to be right?”
“Jodi,” they said in unison.
“I hope you don’t think I would hurt you,” Ben said. “Because I wouldn’t. Not intentionally.”
“I know that,” Mylie replied. “Not on purpose.”
“Do you think this is a mistake?” Ben asked.
Mylie looked down into the Styrofoam container at her food. “You mean this burger? No, it’s perfect. I’m starving.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Ben said. “But this burger does look delicious.”
“I think we’re adults,” Mylie replied. “I think that we’re old enough to make our own decisions. I wanted... I wanted this.”
“Me, too,” Ben said quietly. He reached across the table to take her hand.
“In the spirit of being honest,” Mylie said. “I want to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Ben asked, his brow furrowing.
Mylie shifted on the bench. “You have to promise me you’re not going to get all upset and tell me what I should do.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
Mylie rolled her eyes. “Robbie showed up at the warehouse a couple of days ago.”
“He did what?” Ben straightened. “After he threw a brick through your window?”
“Yes,” Mylie replied. “He said it was because he hadn’t received his check, but I looked over our accounts, and he’d cashed
it.”
“What the fuck is his problem?” Ben’s hands balled into fists.
“Jodi called the sheriff after he left, once we’d discovered he’d cashed the check, so at this point, it’s just harassment,”
Mylie continued. “He told her this morning that he’d spoken with Robbie and told him that in no uncertain terms was he supposed
to come anywhere near the warehouse or my house.”
“Will he listen?”
Mylie shrugged. “I hope so. I’ll have to see him during the tournament, but that can’t be avoided. Besides, he’ll be out on
the boat all day.”
Ben shoved his lunch away from him. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No,” Mylie said. “I don’t think so.”
“Want me to beat him up?” Ben’s eyes twinkled with secret amusement.
Mylie barked out a laugh, feeling the knot of anxiety that had settled in her stomach loosen. “Yes, please.”
“You were supposed to say no,” Ben replied. “Now I have to beat him up to defend your honor.”
Mylie rolled her eyes. “Of course, you aren’t going to beat him up,” she said. “He’d likely put you into a coma, if he didn’t
kill you first.”
Ben stuffed a bit of cheeseburger into his mouth. “I did nearly shove him down at the dance.”
“And I got a brick through my window.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Ben said.
“I’m kidding.” Mylie laughed. “But I bet if you waited until he was really drunk, you’d be okay.”
Ben stood up, leaning across the picnic table to Mylie, brushing her lips with his.
“What was that for?” Mylie asked.
“I just thought our friend Robbie out there might like a show,” Ben replied.
“In that case,” Mylie said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Give me another.”
Mylie went back to work, albeit reluctantly. She’d wanted to stay out there with Ben, laughing and kissing. It was strange to her, how someone could be such a good friend and also... something so much more. She’d never had that before. Usually, the men she dated weren’t her friends before they started dating and certainly weren’t her friends after. But with Ben, it just felt easy. Well, some of it at least. If she thought too hard about it, she knew she could make a whole list of doubts, but when she was with him, it felt good. It felt right.
Jodi didn’t say anything when Mylie reappeared, her hair falling out of her ponytail and her lips swollen. She simply smirked
and pointed to a pile of paperwork.
Mylie was happy to oblige.